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Piazza had a great year, and would have made a fine MVP, but it is unfair to say he carried the Mets by himself. Alfonso at second base had an outstanding, MVP type season himself (although it turned out to be a fluke season). That was a season in which there were MANY great MVP candidates, and I can name about 10 or 12 guys who would have made good choices...besides Kent, Bonds, and Piazza, there was Alfonso, Bagwell, Sheffield, Helton, Vlad, Edmonds, Giles, Alou,..the list goes on. Piazza was without a doubt MVP of the first half, but faded towards the end of the season if I recall correctly.

If there was a year where Mike Piazza deserved the MVP then it was 1997. In 2000, I think Todd Helton, Kent, Bonds, and several others were all more valuable than Piazza.

I don't know about 'more valuable', maybe 'as valuable'. Seems to me that there were quite a few guys who were all pretty much equal as hitters, with Piazza being the only catcher of the bunch. So, defense not included, Piazza was the most valuable. How much you penalize him for his defense pretty much decides how you stand on the MVP issue. Bonds was already juicing, so he can't really count, and Helton was a product of Coors. Piazza's road stats are superior to Helton's, and that's not even counting the position advantage. Put Mike in Colorado and he probably has numbers like a prime Babe Ruth.

The MVP voting during this time (1995-2000) was rather odd, as it appears that there were SO MANY good candidates each year that the voters really did not know how to handle it. They were more likely to vote for guy who had been around a while who had a career year, than a guy who was consistently great, and who put up years just as good every season. 'Second tier' players like Larkin, Caminiti, Walker, Vaughn Sosa, I-Rod,Jones, Giambi, and Kent all won MVPs in career seasons (well career years AT THAT TIME), while guys like Sheffield, Ramirez, Alomar, Piazza, Mcgwire, Bonds, Gwynn, Biggio, Belle, A-Rod, Bagwell, and Vlad were overlooked. perhaps they were taken for granted a bit, while the ones who snuck up and surprised people were given the hardware. It's almost like the voters were LOOKING for someone besides Bonds or Piazza, Griffey, or A-rod to give it to.

You think Piazza is responsible for the 9 wins it would take for the Mets to drop out of the wildcard in 2000? That's a long way to fall, especially when Todd Pratt actually had quite a decent year as the oft-playing backup.

Even if you don't like Helton because his team missed the playoffs, there are still more valuable players on every playoff team, including Alfonzo for the Mets. Why does Piazza deserve it more than Alfonzo? Alfonzo hit nearly as well over 14 more games; about 100 more plate appearances and around 60 more at-bats. And he played better defense at another premium defensive position.

Players have value even if the rest of their team isn't good, and Helton hit .353/.441/.633/1.074 on the road.

Piazza hit .377 .459 .701 1.160 on the road (no that is not a misprint.)
He was a catcher, and Helton was a first baseman.
His team made the playoffs, Helton's didn't.

What is Helton's case over Piazza? That he handled first better than Piazza handled catcher? That he hit at Coors better than Piazza hit at Shea? Do you REALLY think that they were comparable as hitters? People don't realize just how much Piazza was killed by his home stadiums.

The Dodgers made the playoffs and Caminiti admitted to using steroids that year.

And Helton, Kent, and Bonds were not more valuable than Piazza. Take Piazza away from the Mets in 2000 and they don't make the post-season - let alone the World Series.

Actually I think 1995 was his year. I couldn't believe it when Larkin won, and Dante Bichette of all people finished second. What a joke. If you are the best hitter in the league from the catcher's spot, it better take a heck of a great season by someone else to be MVP over you. At least Walker has a legit monster season in 1997.

Dusty Baker did a bad thing and told the press Kent was deserving of the award (over Bonds) - he was manager for both

not only was there no basis for this based on real stats and on the field play, there was nothing intangible that Kent brought as a leader or teammate either

it unduly affected some of the voters

1. The more I learn, the more convinced I am that many players are over-rated due to inflated stats from offensive home parks (and eras)
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Piazza hit .377 .459 .701 1.160 on the road (no that is not a misprint.)
He was a catcher, and Helton was a first baseman.
His team made the playoffs, Helton's didn't.

What is Helton's case over Piazza? That he handled first better than Piazza handled catcher? That he hit at Coors better than Piazza hit at Shea? Do you REALLY think that they were comparable as hitters? People don't realize just how much Piazza was killed by his home stadiums.

Well, Helton's defense was significantly better, even at a low-value position. I'm not passionate about Helton. I was just providing shorthand answers to his shorthand questions. But like several of us have said, if you don't like Helton, what about Bonds and Kent and Jones and Edmonds and Alfonzo? They all provided more value to their teams than Piazza. Except for Bonds, they all play high-value defensive positions - and they all played better defense. Their teams all made the playoffs. The Giants even played in a stadium that was even more of a pitcher's park than Shea.

Once again: If I am not convinced Piazza was event he most valuable player on his own team, how is he the league MVP?

Actually I think 1995 was his year. I couldn't believe it when Larkin won, and Dante Bichette of all people finished second. What a joke. If you are the best hitter in the league from the catcher's spot, it better take a heck of a great season by someone else to be MVP over you. At least Walker has a legit monster season in 1997.

What hurt Helton was that his team wasn't in a pennant run. Rockies won just 82 games, good for 4th place and 15 games behind SF.

Exactly. In a year like that, with so many guys bunched close together, the winner has to come from a winning team. There has never been a season with so many players having MVP quality seasons..in both leagues really. Richard Hildago had a stat line of 44 122 .314 .391 .636. These are about the same numbers Frank Robinson had in his triple crown season.

He finished TWENTIETH in the voting!!!!!

Piazza was hurt by the fact that he finished poorly. At the all star break he was easy MVP. If he had switched his halves around, he would have won. Still, a catcher putting up a 200 OPS+ on the road is downright ridiculous.

Part of the problem about Piazza may have been his uniqueness. People didn't know what to make of a catcher hitting that well, because it never happened before.

Also, by this point, guys like Piazza, Bonds, and Bagwell were perhaps taken for granted a bit. Guys who had been around a while, but put up a 'career year' during this period seemed to win MVP each season...Larkin, Caminitti, Walker, Sosa, Chipper, Kent.